MONTPELIER – The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill Tuesday designed to improve children protection, including better and faster reporting of child abuse in the wake of a football hazing scandal at Milton High School.

The vote was 8-3 to approve the bill.

Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Maxine Grad, D-Moretown said the child protection bill, known as S-9, now moves to the House Appropriations Committee. That committee must consider it because it has associated costs.

One key provision addressed by the Judiciary Committee came after testimony from the family of Jordan Preavy, a 17 year-old, who took his life after being a hazing victim on the Milton team.

The family provided emotional testimony seeking to strengthen the state's mandatory reporting law. They noted the current law was ignored by the entire Milton school system.

Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan had testified before the House Human Services Committee about the need to make the law stronger. He has said the reporting law was vague and did not allow him to file charges against school officials.

Rep. Ron Hubert, R-Milton, said the bill is one more step forward in trying to provide additional protection for children.

Hubert had introduced a separate protection bill, H-41, with tri-partisan support from about two dozen legislators. The House bill, which for named for Preavy, had some of the wording wrapped into S-9.

Rep. Vicki Strong, R-Irasburg, who voted against the bill, said she would have liked to seen other parts of the bill strengthened.

lton High football players who were assaulted with either a pool cue or a broomstick during hazing rituals for new players in 2011 and 2012, police said.

Donovan charged four former Milton players and convicted three of them. The fourth is awaiting trial on a charge of attempted sexual assault.

Meanwhile, Milton School Board is waiting for the completion of an internal investigation by retired State Police Capt. Dan Troidl. He was asked to determine if school employees failed to disclose suspicions of hazing in a timely manner and failed to make a report to the appropriate authorities.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.